Controversy already surrounds the new exam over a ban on traditional Chinese characters, used in Hong Kong and Taiwan, in favour of China’s simplified script, which the Department said was more suitable for beginners.
"It should be pointed out that the simplified Mandarin Chinese character is universally used in the mainland of China as well as in Singapore," the statement added. "You cannot separate ideology and education in China," said David O'Brien professor of East Asian Studies at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
Some academics argue that the Communist Party has an interest in promoting its script above alternative writing systems because they provide a gateway to diverse political and historical narratives, at odds with its own. Dr Isabella Jackson, Assistant Professor in Chinese History at Trinity College Dublin said, "to tell people that their own, entirely legitimate, writing system is wrong is both insulting and ignorant."
"The inclusion of traditional characters is not suitable for a specification pitched at an initial level," a spokesperson said. The minutes of the meeting have not been made available by the Department of Education -pending approval from the Chinese Embassy - but a spokesperson confirmed that the Leaving Certificate specification was also discussed.
"It has become mainstream in the EU and many major universities worldwide, so learning simplified is not the wrong choice." The specification was developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment following "extensive consultation", a spokesperson said and "the Department is satisfied that the process is rigorous, collaborative and meaningful".
In a statement to RTÉ, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education offered language assessment resources to the Irish Department of Education and said "the Ministry hopes that the Irish Ministry of Education can provide both the traditional and simplified test methods, so that students have more room to learn from multiple cultures".
China are always outraged when they don’t get their way, which is to promote communism in every country by paying for education buying g property and creating viruses
This is what’s happening in Australia and we all know about kangaroo Australia. China who has the property market in crises they are now funding our education. Where will this government lead the country to.
Would need to look at Chinese involvement in some of our established and ‘prestigious’ universities and what they are teaching there!
broadsheet_ie It appears the US and NATO warmongers are running irelands education system and have coerced RTE for propaganda purposes. Shameful stuff.
China weaponizes everything.
In the 1960's the Irish Government introduced the 'caighdeán' for Gaeilge and the Latin alphabet was adopted in attempt to increase literacy. It seems the 'wooly jumpers' and 'purists' aren't confined to these shores. Going to UK and Germany for academics says something else.
Ah-So
What didja expect?